Last Day Celebration

Today marks the last day of the Lunar New Year . This year, it is an extremely laid back for us. With hubby off for a week, besides visiting my relatives and meeting up with my college classmates, we basically stay home most of the time.

Anyway, for yesterday's gathering at LS's place, I wanted to try my hand at preparing Yu Sheng as it looks really easy after seeing how my sister prepared it. Also my mom gave me a bag of those ready made condiments that goes with it, so it should be really easy peasy job.

Unfortunately I used the wrong size plate for my mandolin and ended up with thick shreds instead of thin ones. I didn't really have time to explore another option as I had to rush to church.

I used smoked salmon instead of raw as I didn't want to risk food contamination during this period.

Overall, it tasted not that bad except that if the shreds are finer, it would have been better.

To end this festive period, I have gotten another award. Yes, it definitely feel sweet.

Kitchen Flavours actually presented two awards but since I had already done the Libester Award, I will not repeat it again.

Thanks for thinking of me. You definitely make my day.

To carry on, I am following it to the following bloggers. Please do accept this award and forward it to 10 other blogger friends of your choice.

Table for two or more
Small small baker
Honey Bee Sweets
Travelling Foodies
Tasted and Tested
The batter baker
Piggy Journal
Sugar and everything nice
Happy Home Baking
Yummy Bakes

So now girls, go have some fun.

Another year

Just seems like yesterday that we ushered in the New Year and getting all ready for son's most important year - that is sitting for his National examination. Now it is all over and coming to the end of 2009. When we are going through it, it seems like a never ending challenge. Now that it has past and as we reflect on it, it seems so fast. As usual, I invited my family over for Christmas dinner. Mom was initially worried that I am managing everything on my own. I have to ensure her that I will not tire myself too much. Thus I planned for a simple dinner. Nothing fanciful. Avocado, Mango and Prawn Salad. I can’t recall why I had a bottle of Thousand island dressing. I went with a simple green salad to compliment it. Initially I wanted to roast beef but I found out that my youngest sister boyfriend doesn't take that. Thus I changed it and baked two types of chicken. I was given many bottles of Tahini. I don't really know what to do with it. After researching on the internet, I came up with my own version of Baked Tahini Chicken. A blunder I made as I forgotten to tell the poultry seller not to remove the skin as what I usually requested. Too late, I have to improvise in order not to burn the chicken. I added bacon to recreate the layer of fats. Spicy chicken with Tahini Yoghurt Sauce Hubby bought a ham and a turkey steak. It was a little salty but nice. After our last KL trip, somehow I fell in love with a Carbonara Pasta. Unfortunately, mine is a little too dry. Or was it that it was too much pasta? Nevertheless, my Ham, Bacon and Mushroom Pasta tasted good. How can we not have egg nog on a Christmas Day? It is okay to pamper ourselves with this sinful drink on a merry occasion. As for dessert, I went for another attempt on that Strawberry Shortcake as I wanted hubby and family to try it. I have yet again failed in my frosting. It is just too soft to frost. I think I have to rework on the recipe. After a bad encounter with Korean Strawberry, I was turned off by it for a while but I just couldn't resist getting a few packs when the prices were so attractive during this festive season. Now my faith of it renewed. A fruitcake that I needed to bake no matter what for this year as my mom likes it alot. This year I baked these into minis. Lastly, we ended the party with a round of Durian Ice Cream. I just discovered that I have a Ice Cream bowl that was lying in my cabinet! Yea, I don't need to buy a maker after all. We ended the party on a high note with exchanging of presents. This year, my kids also participated in getting presents for their aunts, uncles and grand parents. They had "worked" and saved up money so that they can also buy presents. I am actually very proud of them. Let's hope my family love their gifts. Of course, I had a nice surprise from hubby. Merry Christmas. May this festive season brings you lots of joy and happiness.

Is Santa coming tonite?

Merry Christmas to all my visitors! As a tradition for the past couple of years.

I always gathered round my immediate family to have a dinner on Christmas eve. I am not someone who likes routine even though it is only once a year.

I love to rotate my theme for each year. So this year, my theme is Japanese. I started off with lots of planning.

It is so easy to go to a Japanese restaurant and order my favourites. Preparing Japanese food is something new to me. I didn't even know how to do a good miso soup, it is not about just adding miso paste I found out.

Thanks to Joshua who has shared valuable tips with me. So here is my Christmas spread.

Miso soup with beancurd, mushrooms and wakame. (unfortunately no picture)

Cold soba





Sushi platter, wanted to have California roll but my avocado didn't ripen on time.

Hubby only captured these two platters, I wonder who happened to the rest. This ones, my family has a hands on experience.






Tempura platter, I lost my tempura recipe so didn't know how to do the batter portion and also I got cheated by the fishmonger on the size of the prawns.



My grilled items, Yakitori and Asparagus with bacon.

Sorry, pre grilled only.

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Initially, wanted to have Katsu Don (my hubby's favourite) but I ran out of time and only managed to have Tonkatsu instead.



Last of all. Dessert: Green tea milk jelly, coffee jelly, red bean mochi and my Christmas Fruit cake.

My disaapointment was my green team milk jelly because I didn't have sufficient time to really set the jelly and my coffee jelly without whipped cream (poor time management). (oops, hubby was too busy tucking into his dinner that he forgotten to capture my coffee jelly)





But overall, dinner was good and the party ended till countdown. This will be the last year my brother and family will be joining us.

Though I am sad (going to miss my little nephew) but yet I am happy for them. Same time next year, they will have a chance to be able to experience a totally different Christmas ambience.

Have a Blessed Christmas everyone.